Box Score | Postgame Comments | Highlights

CHICAGO - Loyola shot 59% from the floor in the second half to rally from an 18-point, first-half deficit in a 69-62 win over Toledo at Gentile Arena. The Ramblers move to 3-1 on the season while handing the Rockets their first loss (2-1). Milton Doyle finished with a team-high 26 points to lead Loyola, with Earl Peterson adding 18 points.

Loyola jumped out to an early 7-4 lead but six straight points from Nathan Boothe, who scored UT's first 10 points, put the visitors in front. Five different Toledo players scored during an 11-0 spurt that pushed the lead to 12 (21-9) and consecutive three-pointers later in the half gave the Rockets their largest lead, 31-13, at the 5:35 mark. Five consecutive points from Doyle helped stem the tide and he scored again in the paint in the waning seconds of the period to send the Ramblers to the locker room staring at a 39-24 deficit. Loyola struggled to find its rhythm in the opening 20 minutes, shooting just 33% (8 of 24) and committing 13 turnovers in the half.

Doyle fed Montel James for a dunk plus the foul to open the second half as Loyola came out with renewed energy and intensity. The three-point play jumpstarted a 7-0 run to start the half as the Ramblers quickly sliced the deficit to single digits. Boothe scored the next five points to bump the lead back to 13 and LU's deficit oscillated between eight and 12 points through the opening 10 minutes of the period.

Trailing 52-40, the Ramblers were able to string some hoops together, with Doyle and Devon Turk burying back-to-back three-pointers after a James bucket inside to make it a 52-48 game with 8:27 to go. After another Boothe basket, a James jumper and two Doyle free throws cut the deficit to two and Peterson followed with a vicious dunk to tie the game at 54. Toledo was able to regroup and open up a 60-57 lead on a Boothe basket but Loyola kept pushing. Peterson split a pair at the line and Doyle followed with back-to-back triples to give LU a 64-60 lead with 1:26 to go.

Peterson answered two Boothe free throws with one of his own and Toledo had the ball, down by three with 51 seconds remaining. Loyola's defense forced a miss but a foul on the rebound put the Rockets on the free throw line. However, a missed front-end kept the lead at three and Peterson and Jeff White each knocked down a pair from the stripe to account for the final score.

Doyle was outstanding in the second half and scored his 26 points on just nine shots, finishing 8-of-9 from the floor and 6-of-6 from downtown, setting a single-game Loyola record for most made three-pointers without a miss. Peterson was nearly as efficient, needing only six field goal attempts for his season-high 18 points (4-6 FGs, 10-15 FTs). James gave the Ramblers a third double-digit scorer, posting 11 points and nine rebounds. Boothe finished with a game-high 29 points (12-24 FGs) and 11 rebounds to lead Toledo.

Loyola heads to Alaska next week for the Great Alaska Shootout. The Ramblers open tournament play on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, facing San Diego in an opening-round game that will start at 1 a.m. CT (10 p.m. AT).